Westworld Season 1 Episode 10 Review: The Bicameral Mind
Carissa Pavlica
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Westworld the Prequel is over!
For fans of the movie, that's essentially what happened throughout the first season. Culminating with Westworld Season 1 Episode 10, the inmates are ruling the asylum, and there's really nobody left to stop them.
The creators weren't kidding when they alluded that all of the questions would be answered, and we got a delightful, violent push into Westworld Season 2.
If you recall, after Westworld Season 1 Episode 9, I didn't even bother distinguishing between William and The Man in Black anymore. There was simply no way they were not the same man.
After stomping around behind Dolores, then practically stomping ON Dolores in his attempt to get her to show him the end of the maze, he finally revealed he was, in fact, the true love she was expecting to come rescue her.
I knew the driving force behind his anger would be that Dolores, the one he fell in love with, disappeared on him. What I don't like about his sob story (and let's face it, dude is a frakkin' whiner of the nth degree), is that he was too stupid to understand the point of the maze.
Because everybody was telling him the maze was not for him. And it made sense, even in the terms of how he was hoping the maze was being used. His ardent hope was it would be the key to bringing the hosts to life. He knew suffering did it, but as smart as he is, he couldn't piece together what was missing from the hosts?
That's kind of a bummer. I would have preferred an adult William to have found his own consciousness through the journey, as well. Instead, he kind of became more of an idiot. That smile on his face as the Indians attacked made him look like a right fool.
Speaking of fools, Arnold, in the end, was another fool. Another person not strong enough to stand up in the face of a crushing loss and fight through the pain of losing his son. And one not strong enough to do his own dirty work, even when he realized his creations had been coming alive.
Teddy took the brunt of the brutality after killing his own and watching Dolores do the same. He really couldn't believe it was happening. It's also sad Dolores was merged with Wyatt. Didn't we see a Wyatt at one point? He was a character of his own, right? Was that before or after the killing and Teddy's run in with him.
It's kind of ironic Dolores had put on her dress again before killing Ford, as it's clear she wears the pants in her relationship with Teddy.
It was a lot of fun seeing her toss around Old William and about time, too. Surely the hosts have incredible strength. I wish she had gone all bionic woman on him and tossed him a few hundred yards and through a roof. Maybe that will be one of our opening scenes for Season 2.
Maeve was out kickin' ass, creating her mini army with Armistice and Hector. She was responsible for bringing Bernard back online. I couldn't believe he was still lying on the ground bleeding out. It was kind of shocking.
Her narrative was rewritten to escape, Bernard learned, but she didn't want to believe it. Even if it was, she seems about as conscious as Dolores. It seemed to me the decision to get off that train was all Maeve's.
It begins with the birth of a new people, and the choices they’ll have to make and the people they will decide to become.
Ford
But even if it wasn't, I'm OK with that, because then Ford's plan for the uprising goes far beyond the little DELOS get together out at Sweetwater.
Ford: Bernard, I told you Arnold didn't know how to save you. I do.
Bernard: What the hell are you talking about?
Ford: You needed time. Time to understand your enemy, to become stronger than them. And I'm afraid to leave this place, you will need to suffer more. And now it is time to say goodbye, old friend. Good luck.
It's sad how many people had come to the conclusion that it's suffering that got the hosts to awaken, but now Bernard knows it, too. If Ford knew he was going to be killed, and I think he did, what did he think would happen to the hosts?
He told Bernard, in particular, he would have to suffer more before reaching consciousness, but Ford won't be around to aid and abet. How will that all go down?
Oh! Did you notice SW, which must mean Samurai World, where all of those fellas were training? It seems a little restrictive of a world, but that would mean there are other worlds out there. Oh Future World, be there!
Honestly, it doesn't seem like there's much chance for the DELOS guests to make it out alive. With an army rushing William and him wearing nothing more than a stupid grin on his drunk face, he's worthless. Stop all systems isn't going to cut it.
How many years into the future would Westworld have to go to be functioning at all as a park? That's why I hope we get to see the hosts' uprising. Haven't we earned that? We've seen them humiliated enough.
Dang, in this episode alone they were being used as party favors by way of target practice, Dolores died for their entertainment as if she was on stage, Hector was being used as a sex toy, and that's not even counting the regular guests going about their regular shenanigans elsewhere in the park.
With as careless as the humans have been with the hosts, seeing the hosts get their comeuppance would be a lot of fun.
What are your thoughts on what's to come? Will Season 2 be about the hosts taking over the park, or will it be about a new world? Ford also mentioned to William that he owned a large portion of it, not all. Always something else left to uncover!
I wish I had been given more time to watch and watch again to get more meaning out of this one, but it is what it is. Let's discuss in more detail in the comments, shall we? Are you disappointed at all with the humans' stories? Interested in seeing how the hosts continue to grow?
Be sure to check out the Westworld Quotes, because I captured a bunch of them from this episode and over the first season. Now...discuss!!
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.
